National football squad readies for int'l friendlies, announces practice schedule

The Korean national football team began preparations for its October friendlies on Monday, the day of Chuseok, as it continues to build toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo directs his players during their Group B match against Kuwait in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Seoul World Cup Stadium, in this file photo from June 10. [YONHAP]

The Korean national football team began preparations for its October friendlies on Monday, the day of Chuseok, as it continues to build toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

Led by coach Hong Myung-bo, the squad will hold its first training session at 4 p.m. at the auxiliary field of Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi. Ranked 23rd in the FIFA standings, Korea will first face sixth-ranked Brazil on Friday and 37th-ranked Paraguay on Oct. 14. Both matches will take place at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The first day of training will feature players from the K League as well as those active in Japan and the Middle East. Europe-based stars including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Jens Castrop will join the team on Tuesday.

That day’s practice will be an open session with fans. The team will then hold a closed door training on Wednesday and an official practice on Thursday before facing Brazil the following day.

Brazil is arriving with a full-strength squad, excluding injured players. Their lineup includes forwards Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior, midfielders Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães, and defenders Éder Militão and Gabriel Magalhães. Forward Richarlison will face his former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Son Heung-min as an opponent.

Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion and nine-time Copa América winner, has already qualified for the 2026 tournament — marking its 23rd consecutive World Cup appearance. The South American powerhouse holds a dominant head-to-head record against Korea, with seven wins and one loss in eight encounters.

BY KO BONG-JUN [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]